Does Your Preschooler Love to Play Outside?

Mud pies, worms, sticks and stones–one of childhood’s greatest joys is exploring and playing in the great outdoors. In fact, numerous studies have shown the benefits of outdoor play and education for children. In today’s world of increased technology and urban living, kids are spending more and more time indoors, to their detriment. What better way to counter this trend than to take our classrooms outside?

If this sounds exciting to you, you will be thrilled to learn that Hudsonville Christian School (HCS) is opening an innovative nature-based preschool, the only one of its kind in the greater Hudsonville area. Read on to find out more!

Wonder and Learn at HCS’ Nature-Based Preschool

Hudsonville Christian School provides a nurturing and affirming environment in which children can explore the wonders of God’s world, integrating faith with all aspects of learning.

In the past five years, the school has grown from 700 to over 1,000 students, drawing families from West Michigan who love the Christ-centered, child-centered, excellent curriculum and the family-like culture of the school.

In the fall of 2018, HCS will be taking the concept of exploring God’s world one step further by opening their own nature-based preschool.

With a variety of flexible enrollment options, the class will be designed for four-year-old children. Students in the nature-based preschool will spend up to half the day outside in a specialized area designed to teach kids everything they’d learn in the classroom, only in a natural environment.

“It’s one thing to talk about nature in the classroom, and another to actually experience it,” says Dan Pott, Superintendent of HCS. “It’s a great way to integrate God’s world in a natural setting.”

HCS’s nature-based preschool is developed in partnership with the Outdoor Discovery Center (ODC) in Holland and the Blandford Nature Center here in Grand Rapids. Both organizations are experts on outdoor education, and their support and guidance ensures that the nature-based preschool will be top-notch. In addition, teachers will be specially trained to teach in this unique program.

Look for more information about the nature-based preschool this fall, and mark your calendars–registration will begin in January 2018!

Join the HCS Early Childhood Education Family!

Hudsonville Christian School is not only an excellent academic program, it is also a family.

As Dan Pott puts it, “We have a lot of parents who come here because they want to be a part of something different, part of a family. I hear repeatedly from parents how it really is a special place because of how close-knit our community is. I believe that’s one of the reasons we continue to grow.”

In addition to the nature-based preschool, HCS offers a variety of options for early childhood education (in addition to elementary and middle school). You can choose from the following options to meet your family’s needs:

Three year old classes – half day options, 1 or 2 times per week.

Four year old classes – half day options, 2 or 3 times per week.

Young 5’s classes – half day options 5 times a week or 2 1/2 days per week.

Kindergarten options – 3-4 day transitional class, 4 day or 5 day class.

If you’d like to learn more about Hudsonville Christian School’s nature-based preschool or any of the above options, check out their website or call (616)669-6689.